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Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow stunning onslaught denied India the historic win at Edgbaston as England romped Jasprit Bumrah-led side by seven wickets in the rescheduled fifth and the final Test to level the long due five-match series 2-2 on Tuesday.
Bairstow (114 off 145) unleashed the beast in him as he clobbered centuries in both the innings which was brilliantly coupled with another ton from teammate Joe Root (141 off 172) as they made the light work of India's 378 target with seven wickets to spare on Day 5 of the final match. With this England recorded their highest run-chase ever in Test matches. This was the fourth time England chased down a target of over 250 in the fourth innings, the earlier three being against New Zealand, 277, 299, 296, in their 3-0 home Test series win last month.
England's stunning victory kept India still in quest to win a Test match at Edgbaston, which has become an English fortress now.
India's lethal bowling looked in all sorts of trouble before England's tenacious batting as Bairstow cracked 15 boundaries and a six in his 145-ball unbeaten knock while Root smashed 19 fours and a maximum in his 172-ball unbeaten innings.
Root and Birstow, who toyed with the Indian bowlers on Day 5, also recorded the highest partnership (269*) in fourth innings of a Test.
Also, the Player of the Match Bairstow has become the first batter to score six or more centuries in a single calendar year in men's Tests batting five or below. Meanwhile, India's stand-in skipper Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Series for picking 23 wickets in the five-match series.
India lost the plot on fourth day
This is India's third straight Test match defeat in a 'SENA' country (SA, England, NZ, Australia) after back-to-back defeats against South Africa but this will hurt more as they had a sizeable first innings lead of 132 runs.
The defeat would also significantly dent India's chances of finishing in top-two in the World Test Championship (WTC) table.
Bumrah in his first tryst as captain was very impressive despite the disappointing outcome but what would hurt India badly is the tactics employed by the team that had so many senior players.
A team that has set a target of 378 couldn't have possibly started with a spread out field, logic of which would need some explaining from head coach Rahul Dravid.
Since he has taken over, India have lost three out of four overseas Tests and for a man, who relies heavily on method and process, that's not a great piece of stat.
Bowling with a deep extra cover, deep mid-wicket, deep fine leg only gave a negative impression about the strategy deployed on the fourth evening.
The singles and doubles were easy pickings as none of the bowlers was able to settle down. It was imperative to keep one batter at one end under a tight leash.
As pressure released, the boundaries flowed from the blades of both the batters. It wasn't a typical 'Bazball' approach which is going for leather but bleeding the opposition with thousand cuts, both practically and metaphorically.
The gaping holes in the field were a testimony of a hollow strategy.
Ravindra Jadeja (18.4-3-62-0), a classical left-arm spinner, bowled over the wicket throughout, negating any chance of trapping the batters in front of the wicket. Not for once did he come round the wicket to pin the batters.
And to make matters worse, India's third and fourth pacers -- Mohammed Siraj (15-0-98-0) and Shardul Thakur (11-0-65-0) -- hardly made in impact. They were guilty of bowling too short or too full.
The Englishmen hit 50 boundaries in all -- 48 fours and two sixes and ran 158 runs in singles, doubles and triples. That's the long and short of the story.
Strategies that backfired
Virat Kohli's presence in the field is imposing but perhaps time has come to ask if his aggressive on-field demeanour and rubbing the opposition in wrong way is proving to be counter-productive as it happened in this Test match.
He hurled harsh words at Bairstow without any provocation and the result was there for everyone to see.
Ian Bishop termed it akin to poking a bear while Virender Sehwag in his inimitable style tweeted that before Kohli's sledges, Bairstow was "batting like Pujara" and post his unsavoury engagement, the Englishman turned into 'Pant'.
There could also be a serious debate as to why Ravichandran Ashwin was ignored and Shardul Thakur was preferred for this game.
Against attacking batters, Ashwin and his experimental stuff could have worked but then hindsight is always a good teacher.
In the Indian batting line-up, it seems Shubman Gill is more suited for a middle-order position instead of opening the innings, which demands a tighter technique.
Both Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer may also find it difficult to stay relevant in this set up for overseas contest.
Iyer came across as 'a cat on hot tin roof' against short ball and despite being in the Indian set-up for some time. Batting coach Vikram Rathour hasn't been able to provide much cure.
The 'Fab Four' (Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Kohli) is in danger of losing one member as Kohli's diminishing returns with the bat for the last three years continues to be a huge of cause of concern.
Root hitting the winning run with an audacious reverse sweep was symbolic than ever, rubbing it on Kohli's wounds.
